NFL and college teams showing ample interest in Dan Quinn

The Falcons went from consistent playoff contenders to another disappointing start in 2020, resulting in the firing of the long-time braintrust of Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn. Both of their futures remain clouded with each half having plenty of positives and negatives to consider.

Today we heard of the first rumor swirling around Quinn. Per the rumor, Quinn remains highly regarded in the league and should have plenty of opportunities once the offseason starts. In fact, Quinn should land on his feet in part due to the reason so many in Atlanta liked Quinn, per Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports.

Several teams have already made it known, through backchannels or otherwise, that they would like to have Quinn on their staff in 2021, league sources said, and he is also the top defensive coordinator choice of many other coaches who may land head coaching jobs next year. Quinn is very well respected by his peers and universally liked as a person and coach, making him a very hot commodity after his tenure with the Falcons ended last month following another slow start.

Quinn had some astounding player support despite the lack of success on the field in recent years. He could fit in well as an assistant head coach while leaving some of the tougher decisions to head coach more willing to make those decisions.

Also notable regarding the article is that LaCanfora is not the most accurate or plugged-in reporter so there is a good chance the league sources and Quinn or his agent, with the rumor intended to drum up some additional interest as potential candidates start sketching out their coaching tree. Quinn’s chances for another head coaching position in the NFL, as alluded to in the article, are slim.

Additionally, LaCanfora connects some dots and suggests Quinn could reunite with Pete Carroll or even Kyle Shanahan. Quinn would probably be an interesting defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for a young head coaching hire like Carolina’s Joe Brady as well. The one curveball in the article is Quinn’s openness to return to college football where he would certainly be qualified for a head coaching job.

The most we know for sure is that Quinn clearly wants to get right back into coaching.